The Economics of Anticipatory Action to Climate-Related Natural Disasters: A Global Analysis

This study analysed the global economic cost of early and anticipatory action to climate-related natural disasters. The study found that early action could directly save the international humanitarian system $4.7 billion in a single year. When this money is reinvested in longer term solutions and resilience building, it has the potential to yield economic gains of $24.7 billion. This study is complemented by five country studies. The study aims to support WFP’s FoodSECuRE facility, a new facility that will use climate forecasts to trigger action before, during and after disasters to improve the cost effectiveness of humanitarian response.

Value for Money of Cash Transfers in Emergency Contexts

DFID commissioned this study to examine the value for money of different transfer modalities in humanitarian emergencies, specifically comparing cash, vouchers and in-kind humanitarian assistance. The study fed into the high level expert panel on cash, and is supported by three country case studies, Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Lebanon.

The benefits of a child-centred approach to climate change adaptation

Client: UNICEF and Plan InternationalYear: 2011Countries: Global

This paper investigates the economic argument for investing in child centred approaches to climate change adaptation, to augment the social and moral arguments, given the significantly low funding that has been targeted at this sector to date.

Partnerships for Change: A Cost Benefit Analysis of Self Help Groups in Ethiopia

Client: TearfundYear: 2012Countries: Ethiopia

Courtenay provided training and support to Tearfund country staff to conduct a cost benefit analysis of their Self Help Group programme, which has been running for over ten years. The programme helps to facilitate community groups to save, and provide informal insurance and safety nets through community mobilization. The Cost Benefit analysis indicated that the programme is delivering returns of between $58 and $173 for every $1 invested.

Quantitative Impact Assessment of Community Resilience (CoBRA)

UNDP commissioned this study to develop a quantitative impact assessment methodology for measuring community resilience to crisis in the Horn of Africa. In addition to developing the conceptual framework and methodology, the approach was field tested in the three countries, to develop a tool – the Community Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) that can be used more widely to measure resilience, and the impact of interventions on resilience, at a community or household level.

The Economics of Early Response and Resilience

Courtenay led a team of experts to examine the economics of early humanitarian response and resilience in five countries. The study findings indicate that early humanitarian response is far more cost effective than late humanitarian response. Further, economic concerns over false early response are unwarranted. Country studies found that, for every early response to a correctly forecast crisis, early responses could be made 2-6 times to crises that do not materialise, before the cost of a single late response is met. Investing in longer-term interventions that support resilience should be prioritized, alongside ongoing early response to humanitarian need. Benefit to cost ratios varied between 2.3:1 and 13.2:1, depending on the country.

This four-year DFID assignment in four countries assesses the ability of multi-year humanitarian financing to deliver higher value for money for humanitarian outcomes, as well contribute to wider resilience building over the longer term.